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Saturday, June 18, 2016

On Growth : An Avocado Tree From Seed

I absolutely adore growth. When I was 13, my first job was working with the Mercy nuns (Sisters of Mercy) at the convents cultivating their elegant and numerous gardens.

When I had my first chunk of dirt in the city, I grew everything from
carefully constructed herb rock gardens (that my chocolate lab lived
in, loved and kept digging up), elegant rose beds of all variations, 7
foot sunflowers, all types of annuals and perennials, tons of
vegetables and yes, I grew corn in the city (that grew beautifully and
was delicious).

Last year, I started all of my vegetables and herbs indoors during
winter and had so many plants when Spring hit that I had to keep giving
them away.

I will try (almost) anything. I have never attempted to grow fruit.

The simplest things in life make me happy like seeing avocado seeds burst with roots!

This unique fruit is sometimes referred to as the "alligator pear"
because it is shaped like a pear, is green and has "bumpy" skin like an
alligator. The flesh inside the fruit is only eaten, discard the rest.
Except for the seed.

It is a "high fat food" meaning heart healthy poly
and monounsaturated fatty acids. Oleic acid, the fatty acid present in
avocados, is the main component in olive oil. This fruit is loaded with
fiber and while some nutrients are "fat soluble" (meaning they need to
be combined with fat in order to be utilized), simply adding avocado
to salads, dips, and spreads increases antioxidant and nutrient
absorbance. I adore avocados. There are various ways they can be eaten.

Simply peel the skin off and eat it like fruit, when the avocado is
ripe, use that as a spread [instead of using mayonnaise or a similar
unhealthy concoction] on sandwiches, make a dip out of it for raw
vegetables, add chunks to a salad, to rice with lime, to salsa, replace
fats in recipes with an avocado, and of course, to make guacamole.

Avocados ripen well and when purchasing, unless you are ready to use
immediately, make sure they are firm to the grip. An avocado is ripe
when it is only slightly soft to the touch.

My love for avocados led me to grow my own tree. This is the easiest thing I have ever grown and it was 100% free.

To start, use a seed leftover from an avocado:

Wash it well, do not scrub it.

Put three toothpicks on a downward angle into the center of and around the seed.

Get a small clear glass container, fill it with water.

Suspend the toothpicks across the rims of the container.

Let the seed sit in the water halfway.

Place that in a warm place out of direct sunlight, uncovered.

Replenish water when necessary, do not allow evaporation.

Wait about 2-6 weeks.

I started with two seeds and one grew. I would start with a few just
in case. If none of them grow, keep trying! It takes anywhere from 2-6
weeks to see the root appear.

What occurs first is the seed
covering cracks, falls off, and the entire seed cracks and the root can
be seen growing out of the bottom. After that, the new green growth
comes out of the top. Replenish water so it is fresh and gently clean
both seed and container regularly with plain water, no soap, to get rid
of accumulations from humidity.

Due to the below freezing temperatures in winter, I keep a 4 foot
tropical Croton tree (diverse, complex group of plants ranging from
herbs, shrubs to trees) in my living room. The avocado tree will be
right at home!